4 Community Design. The following guiding principles capture the essence of community design, as embodied in this General Plan.

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1 4 Community Design Although a General Plan typically describes needed services and facilities, and appropriate land uses in order to accommodate anticipated growth, these components are not sufficient to ensure the quality of life the livability that Yuba City residents want. The City s vision of becoming a premier community in the Sacramento Valley can and will be achieved through the quality of development, with attention to neighborhoods, pedestrian-oriented shopping areas, and linkages between these uses. This Community Design Element establishes policies aimed at insuring the creation of public and private improvements that will maintain and enhance the image, livability, and aesthetics of Yuba City in the years to come. In recent years, Yuba City has become increasingly committed to high-quality community design most clearly exemplified by the successful Town Center redevelopment project, by the Harter and Buttes Vista specific plans, and by the City s design guidelines. The Community Design Element builds on the character of Yuba City and design ideas in these plans, and provides policies that will promote the maintenance and enhancement of Yuba City s small town feel and rural heritage. This chapter presents several overarching guiding principles for community design in Yuba City. These principles provide the framework for the guiding and implementing policies that follow. These policies focus on the rural/urban edge, the key vehicular gateways into Yuba City, connections and corridors linking different areas of the City, urban activity centers, commercial and industrial areas, and neighborhoods. 4.1 GUIDING PRINCIPLES The following guiding principles capture the essence of community design, as embodied in this General Plan. Maintain the identity of Yuba City as a small town community, commercial hub, and residential community, surrounded by agricultural land and convey, through land uses and design amenities, Yuba City s character and place in the Sacramento Valley. Recognizing the livability and beauty of peer communities with highly designed visual landscapes, commit to a focus on the visual landscape of Yuba City. Maintain, develop, and enhance connections between existing and planned neighborhoods. Create and build upon a structured open space and parks network, centered on two large urban parks and the Feather River Corridor. Strive for lush, landscaped public areas marked by extensive tree plantings. Design commercial and industrial centers to be visually appealing, to serve both pedestrians and automobiles, and to integrate into the adjacent urban fabric. 4-1

2 Yuba City General Plan Update Create new communities and new neighborhoods that are interesting in design and unique in character. 4.2 URBAN/RURAL EDGE The roughly rectangular shaped form of the Yuba City Planning Area is surrounded on three sides by the rural landscape of Sutter County. The fourth, eastern border is shared with the City of Marysville, just across the Feather River. Yuba City residents strongly identify with Yuba City s setting in rural agricultural Sutter County. Views and images of orchards and crop rows are important aesthetics. By creating strong city boundaries that emphasize the surrounding natural resources, the City is placed appropriately in the context of the rural Sacramento Valley. Currently, agricultural land only loosely denotes the urban development edge in Yuba City. A sharpening of the urban/rural edge will help redefine Yuba City s physical form and create a better sense of place. The striven-for image is of a cohesive small city set in the context of rural surroundings. Clearly defined edges create this image; loosely defined edges are perceived as uncontrolled sprawl. Furthermore, development outside the urban growth boundaries would adversely affect agricultural land, which is important to both the County and the City. Three straight roadways roughly define the Planning Area boundary on the north, west, and south of the Planning Area. Bogue Road on the south, Township Road on the west, and Pease Road on the north offer opportunities for defining clear boundaries between urban Yuba City and the rural countryside. These edges, which have been negotiated between the City and County, create a physical separation between Yuba City and the rural County, keeping Yuba City unique and identifiable. This chapter offers policies for utilizing these roadways as physical edges of the community and visually distinguish urban from rural. The fourth edge of the community the Feather River corridor that defines the City s eastern border, is described in Chapter 6 of this Plan. Orchard rows along the roadways help define the urban/rural edge. GUIDING POLICIES Urban/Rural Edge 4.2-G-1 Establish a clear distinction between the urban growth area and the surrounding rural and agricultural land. 4.2-G-2 Establish a clearly defined, compact form for the urban growth area. 4-2

3 Community Design IMPLEMENTING POLICIES Urban/Rural Edge 4.2-I-1 Establish a distinct design character for new development along Bogue Road, Township Road and Pease Road, as illustrated in Figure 4-1, in order to clearly demarcate the urban edge. This will be accomplished by: Enforcing a 60 foot minimum rear setback requirement on new development along these roads; Creating a 40 to 50 foot wide landscaped buffer within the public right of way; Planting multiple layers of trees closely for visual impermeability; and Limiting local access (but allowing collector and arterial access and only a minimal number of residential streets) from these roads in order to maintain continuous street edges. 4.2-I-2 Create a soft transition at the urban/agricultural edge by appropriate landscape, with large canopy ties that are visually compatible with schools. 4.2-I I-4 Maintain views into the agricultural lands on the rural side of the roadways by: Not planting within the right-of-way, trees spaced farther, and Designating a minimum of 6 feet of space in the right of way for a curb and gutter on the rural side of the road. Differentiate the landscape treatment of urban edges near key intersections. The surrounding rural landscape is marked by orchard rows and views of the Sutter Buttes. 4.3 GATEWAYS AND ENTRIES Strong entries are another important element of community design. This section identifies entry points and assigns unique features to them. These features will help fulfill the goal of enhancing the image of Yuba City as an urban area markedly differentiated from the surrounding rural landscape. Route 99 is the primary entry from the north and south. Route 20, the primary entry from the west and the Feather River bridges are the eastern entries from Marysville. Garden Highway also is an important entry to Downtown. The location and proposed design character of Gateways and Entries are illustrated in Figure

4 Edge Streets : Bogue, Township, and Pease roads PEASE RD TOWNSHIP RD Create a wide strip of a continuous landscaped buffer on the northern side of Bogue, the eastern side of Township, and the southern side of Pease Road. BOGUE RD. Urban / Rural Edge Key Intersection with differentiated landscape treatment Low Density Residential 60 ft Minimum Rear Setback Property Line 30 ft-50 ft Urban / Rural Buffer Four-lane Arterial 6 ft Soft Shoulder or bike path Agricultural field Soft landscaped wall on the urban side Maintain permeability into the orchards and agricultural land to enhance the rural image on the southern side of Bogue, western side of Township, and the northern side of Pease. Develop a continuous and dense landscape on the urban buffer and limit direct access into adjacent development Differentiate the landscape treatment of the key intersections by planting species of trees different from the rest of the street Low density ResidentialDevelopment 100 ft R.O.W. Develop a continuous and dense landscape on the urban buffer by planting no more than two species of trees in multiple layers. Min. 60 ft Rear Setback 30 ft - 50 ft urban buffer 4-lane Road Rural edge Property Line Min. 6 ft Pedestrian / Bike Path Curb and gutter Figure 4-1 Urban / Rural Edge

5 1. Route 99 near Bogue Road & Route 20 near Township Road 2. Route 99 near Pease Road Rural Edge Vehicular-oriented entry sign in the right-of-way 2 Gateway Entry Riverfront Edge 5 Gateway Entry Route 20 Corridor Gateway Entry Gateway Entry 4 Rural Edge Signs directing traffic to various places of interest along with landscaping to accentuate the intersection Yuba City 5. Route 20 near Sutter Street 1 Pedestrian-scale signs directing traffic to downtown and other places of interest. Landscaping and street lights to to accentuate this gateway from Marysville Gateway Entry 3 4. George Washington near Bogue Road Welcome to Gateway Entry Bridge Street Corridor Sutter / Second / Garden Hwy Corridor Linear Parkway George Wasington 5 Route 99 Corridor Vehicular-oriented entry signs and street lights accentuating the nearby developments. Densely planted street trees as transitional elements from rural to urban area Western Parkway Rural Edge 1 3. Garden Hwy near Drummond Drive Entry signs on both sides of the street and street trees to complement the adjacent residential neighborhood Vehicular-scale lighting Directional signs highlighting places of interest Repeated and consistent signs Places of Interest Plumas Street The Mall at Yuba City Second Street Welcome to Yuba City Places of Interest Autowest Amphitheater South Park Arc Parkway Feather River Parkway Welcome to Yuba City Pedestrian-scale signs for slower traffic Pedestrian-scale lighting landscaping to accentuate the sign Figure 4-2 Gateways and Entries

6 Yuba City General Plan Update GUIDING POLICIES Gateways and Entries 4.3-G-1 Enhance key city entrances on primary vehicular corridors. 4.3-G-2 Demarcate the transition from rural to urban land with distinct entry features. IMPLEMENTING POLICIES Gateways and Entries 4.3-I-1 Designate Route 99 near Pease Road, Route 99 near Bogue Road, Route 20 near Township Road, Garden Highway near Drummond Drive, George Washington near Bogue Road, and the Feather River bridges as entry gateways into Yuba City, and create distinctive features at these locations, as follows: Route 99 near Bogue Road and Route 20 near Township Road. These entries are on high speed state highways and where regional-scale commercial and office uses are planned. Continual vehicle-oriented street lights with welcoming signs attached on each side can accentuate both the City gateway and the development nearby. Lush trees planted closely on each side of the street can provide another transitional element as one enters from the rural area where the roads are marked with fewer trees. Route 99 near Pease Road. Around this planned highway interchange, planned land uses are predominantly residential. South of the planned interchange, this portion of Route 99 is separated from adjacent homes by a frontage road and landscaping, and the environment will remain vehicle-oriented. A welcoming sign, consistent with Caltrans standards, can be placed in the right-of-way or on the Pease Road overpass to mark the entry. Garden Highway near Drummond Drive. Low density residential development and an elementary school are planned around this intersection. Densely landscaped trees and welcoming signs on both sides of the street can subtly announce the entry into the city. George Washington near Bogue Road. Along George Washington, signs directing traffic to different neighborhoods and major amenities in western portion of the city such as the two major parks, the panhandle, new neighborhood commercial centers, and the parkways can be introduced, coupled with differentiated landscaping, at the intersection. Feather River Bridges and Route 20 near Sutter Street. Bridges alone can provide a sense of entry which can be enhanced through signage and landscaping. Welcoming signs on the Feather River Bridge coupled with a well-designed entry intersection near the terminus of the bridge can enhance the processional experience as one enters the city. These signs can direct travelers to Downtown and the planned Feather River park areas. Street trees and pedestrian-scale lighting should be introduced to enhance this entry. 4-6

7 Community Design 4.4 CONNECTIONS & CORRIDORS The manner in which streets will connect new neighborhoods to shopping areas, parks, schools, and employment centers is a critical design element. This section focuses on the design of these connections and the character of new streets. More detail on proposed circulation system improvements, particularly dimensions for street cross-sections and on-street parking policies, is presented in Chapter 5 of the General Plan. The key to enhanced connectivity is to ensure that new neighborhoods are integrated in the City s street grid; that streets connect to other streets, both within neighborhoods and to adjacent neighborhoods and commercial districts. Many existing subdivisions are not connected to oneanother and have few outlets onto major arterials. Also, some collector and arterial corridors in the City are not well-defined and lack pedestrian amenities and street trees. Improving the streetscape design of these roadways will contribute to the visual and aesthetic perception of the City as a whole. This section establishes policies and design concepts to strengthen the main corridors by means of streetscape improvements and elements that will define and enhance each of them. New streetscape designs should be tailored to announce and accommodate adjacent amenities such as parks and commercial centers. Well-designed corridors will join different neighborhoods and activity nodes together. Neighborhood Connectivity Fluid connections between new proposed neighborhoods and existing neighborhoods will be established by extending existing arterials, creating new streets, and ensuring that new streets connect with existing streets. For example, Bridge Street and Cherry Street are existing east-west streets planned to be extended westward to serve the newly planned neighborhoods. To alleviate northsouth traffic from Route 99, two new parkways are planned on the west side of Route 99. Also, new east-west and north-south local streets are planned to connect the new developing areas to the onemile grid system. The overall street network is designed to connect each neighborhood to one another, to connect neighborhoods to local shopping districts and activity centers, and to provide accessibility to major urban amenities, parks, open space, and Downtown, and to the regional highway system. The new street system and hierarchy is discussed further and illustrated in Chapter 5: Transportation. Routes 20 & 99 Running east-west, Route 20 is a four to six-lane state highway. It extends to the City s river edge and turns into Feather River Bridge. Large scale regional commercial activities are concentrated along Route 20 and around the Route 99/Route 20 intersection. The planned development intensity is lower near the west edge of the City where office and light industrial activities are to be located. Route 99 will be a four to six lane state highway that is in a below-grade cut north of the Queens Avenue intersection. Large-scale commercial development is located at the Route 99/20 intersection; low density residential development exists both north and south of the commercial areas. Regionalscale office and commercial development are planned along the west side of Route 99 between Lincoln and Bogue roads. 4-7

8 Yuba City General Plan Update Design concepts for Routes 20 and 99 envision upgrading the appearance of the corridors as circulation system improvements, as illustrated in Figures 4-3 and 4-4. Parkways Two new parkways are planned to serve new development in the western portion of the Yuba City Planning Area. They are envisioned as roads lined with lush trees on both sides of the road as well as in the median. An Arc Parkway is planned near the western edge of the growth area, and connects a new park and mixed use area on the northern edge of the growth area, the regional scale commercial area near Route 20, and two mixed use areas in the southwestern corner of urban area. Another parkway is planned to run north and south from the Harter Specific Plan area south to a new City park at the south and north to the edge of the urban growth area. This parkway offers a direct access to the southern city park from the area north of Route 20. B Street offers access for Downtown and neighborhoods to the riverfront. The concept of parkways roadways that function as both a visual corridor and a traffic artery is new to Yuba City and is intended to bring uniqueness and visual richness to two new important Yuba City roadways. Local Streets: Sutter Street / Second Street / Garden Highway / Bridge Street Sutter Street and Second Street are the easternmost streets in downtown Yuba City and parallel the Feather River levee. Second Street serves civic buildings in the downtown area and is lined with luscious trees and on-street parking spaces. As one travels south on Second Street, the roadway splits and directs one either east to a boat dock on the Feather River or west to Garden Highway. Garden Highway is more vehicular-oriented and is lined with automobile-related shops. Although Garden Highway is the closest vehicular road running parallel to the river, it is three-fourths of a mile from the river and no view corridors toward the river exist due to distance and the existing levee. Bridge Street is a major four-lane east-west currently running from the existing western city limit to the riverfront. Bridge Street is a more established east-west corridor than other corridors running through recently constructed low-density developments. The roadway connects the eastern side of Route 99 to downtown Yuba City. The Bridge Street corridor has a cluster of large commercial properties near the Route 99 intersection and smaller retail properties near Plumas Street and 2nd Street. A short east-west transit connection on Bridge Street exists between Stabler Lane and Gray Avenue. 4-8

9 Create entry gateway features Create covered bus shelters and install pedestrian-scale street lighting at transit stops. Create crosswalks with yield signs for bike traffic and pedestrians. B A Create entry gateway features Central City Specific Plan Area Route 99 lan Create landscaped betw buffer between Route 20 and the li existing light industrial uses. Harter Parkway George ge Washington Township Road Western Parkway Route 20 Bridge Street Feather River Urban /Rural Intersection at Vehicular Linear Pkwy Edge Intersection at Vehicular Linear Pkwy Existing / Proposed Bikeway Existing Transit Service (2002) Vehicular Parkway Pedestrian Entry Points into Feather River Parkway Central City Specific Plan Area Proposed Gateway Entry Bike / Pedestrian Crossing Route 20 near George Washington St. A Route 20 near Tharp Road Introduce streetscape improvement elements (sidewalks, planting strips, and landscaped medians). Low Density Residential oriented away from Route 20 Medium/ High density residential development Frontage Road Three lanes on each side 30 ft Minimum setback between Route 20 and Low Density Residential Development. B Commercial Commercial Sidewalk allowed next to commercial development Three lanes on each side Figure 4-3 Note: Landscaping and improvements are illustrative; final plans for planting within Caltrans ROW would need to conform to Caltrans standards. Route 20 Corridor

10 Gateway Intersection (Urban / Rural Edge) Minimum 10 ft landscaped buffer between Route 99 and new and existing Residential Development. A Pease Road Create entry gateway features Low Density Residential Development Low Density Residential Development Feather River Parkway Existing Residential Neighborhood 30 ft Minimum rear setback between Route 99 and new Residential Development. Three lanes on each side 30 ft Minimum rear setback between Route 99 and new Residential Development. Low Density Residential Development B Office Vehicular Access to office buildings from internal streets Existing Commercial Node Three lanes on each side Allow the new developments to 30 ft Minimum rear setback orient buildings away from Route 99 between Route 99 and new and create entries from side streets. Residential Development. Note: Landscaping and improvements are illustrative; final plans for planting within Caltrans ROW would need to conform to Caltrans standards. Route 99 Route 20 to downtown & Feather River Pkwy Franklin Street Existing Existing Residential Neighborhood Residential Neighborhood A to South Park Lincoln RD Planned Regional Commercial Office Development B Existing / Proposed Bikeway Create entry gateway features Existing Transit Service (2002) Central City Specific Plan Area Proposed Gateway Entry Bogue Road Figure 4-4 Route 99 Corridor

11 Community Design GUIDING POLICIES Connections and Corridors 4.4-G-1 Create a well-connected hierarchy of streets that serve existing and planned neighborhoods, and strengthen the visual and aesthetic character of each major corridor. 4.4-G-2 Create a comfortable street environment for motorized and non-motorized users. 4.4-G-3 Allow for flexibility in streetscapes to accommodate various adjacent land uses. IMPLEMENTING POLICIES: Residential Streets 4.4-I-1 Design new residential streets with sidewalks, planting strips and traffic-calming elements to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. Routes 20 & 99 Additional policies on neighborhood streets and connectivity are in Chapter 5: Transportation. These emphasize the importance of interconnectivity and the need to limit loop streets and culde-sacs. 4.4-I-2 Ensure that new non-residential development along Route 20 is oriented toward the highway as illustrated in Figure I-3 Require landscaped setbacks from Route 99 and establish standards for streetscape improvements, including planting strips and landscape medians, where appropriate, as illustrated in Figure 4-4. Ensure that fences are combined with trees and landscaping in order to demarcate residential property lines. 4.4-I-4 Plant trees as visual buffers along the existing industrial and commercial development. Clustering of vegetation to allow views of outdoor sales areas and retail store fronts should be allowed. 4.4-I-5 Install covered bus shelters and pedestrian-scale street lighting near existing and planned bus stops. 4.4-I-6 Plant trees along with masonry fences to buffer existing residential development from the highway. Require a minimum 10 feet buffer between the front property line and the edge of the road. Parkways 4.4-I-7 Establish a parkway street cross-section as illustrated in Figure 4-5 and 4-6 characterized by the following: 4-11

12 Yuba City General Plan Update A landscaped median with a minimum width of 15 feet and trees that will create a continuous, formal appearance. A symmetrical tree layout for sidewalk planting strips abutting residential developments. Separate bike paths on at least one side of the parkway buffered from vehicular traffic by planting strips. On-street parking only adjacent to the south park and the panhandle. Sidewalks on both sides of the parkway. Wider sidewalks are allowed when abutting commercial developments. A landscaped median is not required for the portions of the parkways adjacent to the south park and the panhandle. Instead, devote 7 to 8 feet of space on the side of the parkways away from these areas for on-street parking. 4.4-I-8 Establish vehicular access controls that limit access to developments from the parkways by: Limiting left-turn intersections to every half a mile. Limiting driveway access into new development from parkways. These are consistent with Chapter 5: Traffic and Circulation. S utter Street / Second Street 4.4-I-9 Create a pedestrian-friendly environment on Sutter and Second Streets, linking Downtown and the waterfront within the Feather River corridor, as illustrated in Figure I-10 Provide signage, landscaping, lighting, and other visual features to emphasize the existing and planned pedestrian access to the riverfront. 4.4-I-11 Ensure that the proposed B Street Plaza helps to showcase the steps at the end of B street as a gateway to the river park areas by: Prohibiting construction of buildings or tall elements on the eastern edge of the plaza. Maintaining a low plaza height. Enhancing an open feeling for the plaza as a whole. Bicycle access from Bridge Street to the Riverfront is an important asset that needs to be protected and enhanced. 4-12

13 Pedestrian - oriented ed Street Medium Office Park High Density Residential Allow a maximum of one driveway into non-residential development from parkways (minimum distance from intersections: 600 ft) Medium / High Density Residential Primary Parkway Western Parkway near an urban activity center Commercial ROUTE 20 FRANKLIN RD LINCOLN RD WESTERN PRKWY back front Residential block pattern adjacent to the Western Parkway (Route 20 / Western Parkway) Parkway along residential development (Western Parkway near Cherry Street) Left turn intersection Limit left turn intersections to every half mile. Single Family Low Density Residential Existing Residential Development 1 Residential blocks along the parkway perpendicular to the parkway Cherry Street Block Dimension / ratio Single Family Low Density Residential Residential blocks parallel to the parkway only allowed near a state highway intersection Office Left turn intersection Route 20 Vehicular Circulation Pattern Bike path Left-turn allowed intersection Residential building orientation Use a symmetric tree layout for landscaping planting strips next to both sidewalks Prohibit direct access into residential developments from the parkways. Garage access from rear alley (median / low and high / medium density residential) Low Density Residential oriented away from the parkway One tree specie for a continuous and formal appearance. Create a landscaped median (Min. 15 ft) along the entire stretch of the parkway. Medium / Low Density Residential Property Line Two traveling Combined Sidewalk lanes on each side Sidewalk Property Line and Bikeway Create sidewalks on both sides of the parkway. (wider sidewalks next to commercial developments) Multi Family residential development Commercial Combined Sidewalk and Bikeway Property Line Median Two traveling lanes on each side Sidewalk Figure 4-5 Parkway Design Concepts

14 ROUTE 20 FRANKLIN RD LINCOLN RD Figure 4-6 Parkway Configuration Near Public Open Space WESTERN PRKWY HARTER PRKWY Harter Parkway along the panhandle Harter Parkway along South Park B A B Medium to High density residential development Prohibit on-street parking on parkways with the exception of the portions adjacent to the South Park and the panhandle Landscaped median is not required on parkways adjacent to the South Park and the panhandle. Create space for on-street parking instead. Two traveling Park edge Property Line Sidewalk lanes on On-street each side parking Planting strip buffering bike / walking trail Create a walking / bike pathways along the street edges. Medium to Highdensity residential development A Allocate the area near the street for active uses. Min. 20 ft front setback Residential buildings oriented toward the park / panhandle Two lanes / One way traffic Bike /Walking trail Prohibit on-street parking on parkways with the exception of the portions adjacent to the South Park and the panhandle. Recreational Use Bike / Two lanes / Sidewalk Walking trail One way traffic

15 Community Design 4.4-I-12 Create signage and maps illustrating various park spaces in the Feather River Corridor to direct downtown pedestrians on Second Street to the waterfront. 4.4-I-13 Extend the tree-lined wide sidewalks of the Second Street near the B and C Street intersections north to Sutter Street. Garden Highway 4.4-I-14 Ensure that the planned manufacturing and warehousing activities on Garden Highway do not cause adverse visual impacts to the adjacent residential neighborhoods and Feather River corridor. 4.4-I-15 Establish design standards for a new community commercial corridor that accommodates pedestrians and transit uses along Garden Highway between Franklin and Winship roads. (See Figure 4-7). 4.4-I-16 Establish a 15-foot wide landscaped buffer in the public right of way between Garden Highway and the industrial uses. These buffering standards should be set in the Zoning Ordinance and apply planting strip requirements to all new developments or major redevelopment. 4.4-I-17 Ensure that non-residential building façades are visually attractive, with windows offering views into buildings and architectural articulation; prohibit large blank walls facing the street unless screened by landscaping. Landscaping can improve the appearance of Garden Highway. 4.4-I-18 Orient commercial buildings on infill sites toward the sidewalk (on Garden Highway between Franklin & Bishop Roads), and place parking on the side or in the rear of the lot. 4.4-I-19 Place pedestrian amenities such as pedestrian-scale street lighting, benches, and planting strips on the western side of Garden Highway where community commercial core is planned. Bridge Street 4.4-I-20 Designate Bridge Street as an important riverfront access corridor. Although the river is not visually accessible from Bridge Street due to the levee, Bridge Street has great potential to be a strong east-west connector and a gateway to the riverfront. 4.4-I-21 Design streetscape and landscape elements to create a processional sequence of spaces that will enhance the riverfront theme as illustrated in Figure 4-8 along Bridge Street by installing continual promotional banners and street lights on both sides of the street. 4-15

16 Yuba City General Plan Update 4.4-I-22 Widen the sidewalks and install pedestrian-scale street light fixtures on Bridge Street from Boyd Streets to 2nd Street to accommodate pedestrians. 4.4-I-23 Construct and maintain covered bus shelters at new and existing bus stops along Bridge Street. 4.4-I-24 Provide a landscaped median on Bridge Street between Plumas and Gray Avenue. 4.5 URBAN ACTIVITY CENTERS To make new centers for development (as proposed in the Chapter 3: Land Use) vibrant and livable, this Chapter proposes that they be planned as integrated Activity Centers where a mix of urban uses will occur in a pedestrian-oriented, landscaped environment. New residential development will be located with easy access to these centers, as well as to the new large City Parks. Figure 4-9 illustrates these conceptual relationships. The Activity Centers fall into two categories: Larger scale Regional Activity Centers are proposed along major roadways and are envisioned to be regionally focused, including a range of employment opportunities and retail establishments serving a regional need. A center northwest the intersection of Route 99 and Bogue Road and a center on Route 20 between George Washington and Township Roads complement existing plans for the Harter Specific Plan area and downtown Yuba City. Three locally-oriented Community Activity Centers are planned in the western portion of the urban area, two in the southwest quadrant of the planning area, and one in the northeast quadrant. These activity centers are envisioned as Village Centers that attempt to duplicate the small town character of Yuba City as it develops by providing areas where community residents meet and shop. Through a mix of housing types, a mix of commercial uses, open space, schools, and community facilities, a sense of place can be achieved in newly developing areas. This section focuses on design concepts for urban activity centers. Additional design guidance on land use and development standards for commercial and residential areas are in Section 4.6, Commercial & Industrial Development, and Section 4.7, Neighborhoods. GUIDING POLICIES Regional Activity Centers 4.5-G-1 Design Regional Activity Centers, to include a mix of uses, including regional retail, office, and service uses offering shopping and employment opportunities for both residents of Yuba City and the regional population. Downtown is a vital hub for the community. That has been enhanced by a strong commitment by the City to create a pedestrian-oriented environment. 4.5-G-2 Promote convenient vehicular and transit access to Regional Activity Centers, with convenient pedestrian access within the centers and to adjacent neighborhoods. 4-16

17 Create entry gateway features Create a set of steps on Teegarden Street toward the riverfront. Provide signage, lighting to emphasize the pedestrian entries into the River Parkway Central City Specific Plan Area Second Street South of C Street Community Commercial Corridor Existing / Proposed Bikeway Existing Transit Service (2002) Pedestrian Entry Points into Feather River Parkway Place pedestrian amenities where community commercial core is planned. Central City Specific Plan Area Proposed Gateway Entry A Light industrial / Manufacturing Entry into Feather River Parkway Minimum 15 ft landscaped Place pedestrian amenities buffer between Garden where community Highway and industrial uses. commercial core is planned. A Manufacturing N Light industrial / Manufacturing Parking on the side or in Commercial rear of the lot Orient commercial buildings toward the sidewalk. Minimum 25 ft setback for Industrial uses. Low Density Residential Figure 4-7 Sutter Street / Second Street / Garden Highway ge l Brid oca ew L Low Density Residential Create entry gateway features

18 Route 99 Create a riverfront theme by installing promotional signs and street lights. A Bridge Street B Landscaped Median Pursue redevelopment of industrial properties. Conduct a feasibility study for a potential bus route along Bridge Street. Pedestrian - oriented Commercial Boulevard to the Panhandle and South Park Residential Boulevard Low Density Residential Central City Specific Plan Area Construct planting strips and sidewalks where enough room exists in the public right of way Pedestrian - oriented streetscape improvement for existing residential neighborhood. Improving Connection to Downtown and Feather River Parkway. Low Density Residential A B Street looking east toward the levee Two lanes on each side Existing / Proposed Bikeway Existing Transit Service (2002) Commercial Commercial Vehicular Parkway Landscaped Median Pedestrian Entry Points into Feather River Parkway B Central City Specific Plan Area Two lanes on each side Figure 4-8 Bridge Street Corridor

19 Community Design Community Activity Centers 4.5-G-3 Design Community Activity Centers to include a mix of housing types, community scale retail, local offices, services, civic uses, community facilities, parks, and schools. 4.5-G-3 Create a pedestrian orientation with convenient access both with the centers and between the centers and adjacent neighborhoods. The Central City Plan has made pedestrian oriented development a focal point, with significant success. Figure 4-9: Community Activity Centers 4-19

20 Yuba City General Plan Update IMPLEMENTING POLICIES Regional Activity Centers 4.5-I-1 Using the Central City Specific Plan as an implementation tool, continue to advance downtown Yuba City as a focus of civic and cultural activity in the community, retain a strong pedestrian orientation and scale, create new uses in the Town Center development, preserve and enhance buildings of special historic and architectural interest, and seek new development opportunities for available re-use sites. 4.5-I-2 Using the Harter Specific Plan as an implementation tool, provide an additional employment and retail center on the former Harter Packing Company property; create a business park and commercial development opportunities; create an efficient circulation pattern; and provide a mix of uses as described in the Specific Plan. 4.5-I-3 Using a developer s master plan or a City-initiated Specific Plan, create two new Regional Activity Centers; one center northwest of the intersection of Route 99 and Bogue Road and one center on Route 20 between George Washington and Township Roads. These plans are to include provisions for the following: An integrated mix of regionally-oriented uses; Highly landscaped business parks and office parks; A unified design theme throughout the development, marked by consistent signage, plantings, street lighting, street furniture, roadway markings, and building design characteristics; Pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environments; Facilities to ensure access by public transit; Tree planting programs; Appropriate internal circulation and adequate connections to arterials and State highways; Landscaped buffers and edges with parkways, marked by berms, trees, and limited curb cuts, where applicable; A mix of residential uses, with over 65 percent in the medium to high density category; Pathway and local street connections to integrated residential development; Public open space, plazas, and green space; and Perimeter buffering to protect existing neighborhoods. Community Activity Centers 4.5-I-4 Establish minimum standards for public open space and central plazas in at least 5 percent of the gross area in each center. Streets leading to the central plazas should provide a processional experience by incorporating elements such as continuous signage and street lights. 4-20

21 Community Design Squares and plazas should be at least 20,000 square feet in size and be centrally located, within a quarter mile of 90 percent of residents living in a Community Activity Center. 4.5-I-5 Cluster nonresidential uses in Community Activity Centers around public open spaces and plazas. Secondary plazas and pocket parks can provide additional focal points. 4.5-I-6 Establish minimum standards for pedestrian-oriented circulation: Require non-residential buildings to be oriented toward the street. The ground-level façade facing the street should be transparent and be articulated to human scale to create pedestrian-oriented sidewalks. Allow credit for on-street parking. All streets in a neighborhood commercial core should provide on-street parking. Require parking areas to have centrally located pedestrian access with rows of canopy trees to provide shadow walkways. Divide off-street parking into small areas whenever possible and connect them to sidewalks or pedestrian pathways. Encourage buildings to be located at the street by establishing maximum setback or build-to lines, with appropriate step-backs for upper stories; Requiring awnings and canopies for pedestrian comfort, where appropriate; and 4.6 COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT The policies and design concepts in this section are directed toward creating commercial and industrial developments that are attractive and well-integrated into the community. The recentlydeveloped large-scale neighborhood and regional commercial centers in Yuba City are vehicleoriented and the buildings have large setbacks from the street line for provision of parking lots. Community commercial centers, located adjacent to residential neighborhoods, provide goods and services to local residents and are assumed to serve both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Commercial uses inevitably need to provide parking spaces; however, careful site planning can provide better connections to neighborhoods and vehicular corridors. Regional commercial areas will primarily service vehicular traffic. Located along highways, these areas will have less relationship with the street than community or neighborhood commercial areas. However, internal pedestrian pathways should provide safe and well-connected walking environment. The architecture of regional commercial buildings should be articulated to minimize boxy appearance. 4-21

22 Yuba City General Plan Update GUIDING POLICIES Commercial & Industrial Development 4.6-G-1 Ensure that the new large-scale commercial and industrial development responds to the surrounding development in its building scale, form, and buffering of adjacent uses. 4.6-G-2 Ensure that new large-scale commercial development provides pedestrian access to the surrounding neighborhoods and within the development itself. 4.6-G-3 Ensure that new large-scale industrial development is buffered from residential neighborhoods but allow design flexibility within these areas to promote economic development. IMPLEMENTING POLICIES Commercial & Industrial Development 4.6-I-1 Establish the following design standards for new commercial development: Orientation requirements so entries face streets. Where development is adjacent to an arterial or parkway, it also needs to be outward looking with the perimeter oriented to vehicular traffic. Amenities, such as the fountain in the Yuba City Town Center can enhance office and industrial environments. Prohibitions of blank walls along streets and other public visible building elevations. Build-to-lines maximum setback distances along pedestrian-oriented streets. Where a pedestrian environment exists or is desired, the City may want to create street segments with store fronts closer to the sidewalk. This concept would not apply where large format, auto-oriented retail uses are planned. Architectural articulation to modulate the horizontal and vertical scale of largecommercial buildings. Awnings and canopies on the street-fronting façade along pedestrian-oriented streets to provide weather protection for pedestrians. Pedestrian-scale signs throughout new commercial development. Landscaped strips to separate parking lot from street sidewalks. 4.6-I-2 Require publicly accessible, open space, such as outdoor eating areas, to be integrated into large-scale office and industrial developments. This requirement would not apply to locations that are within walking distance of public parks. 4-22

23 Community Design 4.6-I-3 Require community and neighborhood commercial development to provide pedestrian access to the surrounding neighborhoods and within the development complex. 4.6-I-4 Require landscaped compatibility buffers and screening along the edges of industrial areas adjacent to residential areas and parkland. 4.7 NEIGHBORHOODS While the policies presented previously in this chapter relating to edge conditions and roadway corridors have implications that apply to the City as a whole, this section addresses design and character at a more focused scale, within neighborhoods. A neighborhood is defined as an area of at least 160 acres, with an approximate quarter mile radius from its center that includes a mix of uses. Creating and maintaining quality neighborhoods is a key initiative of this General Plan. Existing neighborhoods should be maintained and improved, and new neighborhoods in Yuba City should be developed with a strong sense of identity. Policies and design concepts in this section are intended to create a sense of place in new neighborhoods, by recognizing and strengthening the fundamental elements of traditional neighborhoods. These building blocks included a mix of housing types (as illustrated in Figure 4-10), parks, and community facilities; organized around a neighborhood focal point. GUIDING POLICIES Neighborhood Structure 4.7-G-1 Encourage development of diverse and distinctive neighborhoods. 4.7-G-2 Develop a sense of neighborhood identity through design elements and neighborhood focal points, such as commercial areas, schools, parks, community centers, or a combination of these elements. 4.7-G-3 Ensure that new street networks are coherent and provide multimodal access within and between neighborhoods. 4.7-G-4 Maintain and enhance the character of existing neighborhoods by undertaking streetscape and signage improvements. IMPLEMENTING POLICIES Neighborhood Structure 4.7-I-1 Require new neighborhoods to include components such as a mix of housing types, open spaces, and community facilities, oriented to a neighborhood center. 4.7-I-2 Continue to use the City s Design Guidelines in development review and prepare a design standards checklist for new requirements established by this General Plan. 4.7-I-3 Provide a variety of lot sizes within a neighborhood to foster diverse housing types. 4-23

24 Yuba City General Plan Update 4.7-I-4 Continue to require on-site common open spaces in multi-family residential development Street/Building Relationship 4.7-I-5 Require new housing to provide transitions between the street and building, with variable front setbacks, building articulation and massing. Elements such as porches, bay windows, and landscaping can be designed to create a transition between public and private spaces. 4.7-I-6 Minimize the visual dominance of garages by establishing specific standards in the zoning ordinance, including: Limiting the front width of a house that can be occupied with a garage to be no more than one-half the building width; or Requiring garages to be setback from the front façade or located in the rear half of the lot; or Requiring additional setback if more than a two-car garage entrance is provided; Orienting garage doors 90 degrees from the street; or Encouraging use of alleys in new development, with garages accessed from the rear; and Incorporating design elements on the second level above the garages such as accessory dwelling units, bay windows or balconies. Figure 4-12 shows the housing typology envisioned for this plan, including ideas about how to address garage location. Streets and Blocks 4.7-I-7 Ensure that the Subdivision Regulations encourage a fine-grained and integrated pattern of streets that provide continuity between neighborhoods, have a human scale, and enhance the character of neighborhoods. Promote closer spacing between intersections of local streets and limit the maximum block length to 660 feet in low density residential areas and 500 feet in medium and high density residential areas. Limit use of cul-de-sacs to no more than ten percent of the length of all streets in a subdivision map. Where cul de sacs are used, require pedestrian and bicycle connections through the end to adjacent streets, if a connection is needed to a school, park, retail, or connector street. 4.7-I-8 Design local streets to not only accommodate traffic, but also to serve as comfortable pedestrian environments. These should include, but not be limited to: Street tree planting adjacent to curb and between the street and sidewalk to provide a buffer between the pedestrian and the automobile, where appropriate; and 4-24

25 Community Design Sidewalks on both sides of streets, where feasible. Neighborhood Identity & Boundaries 4.7-I-9 Place design elements that signify neighborhood identities at the neighborhood entrances and at neighborhood centers or focal points. Elements such as a name plaque at the central open space and street lights with signs attached to them running along a main commercial street can instill a sense of neighborhood identity. 4.7-I-10 Create a sense of a neighborhood identity by gradually decreasing densities away from neighborhood focal points. The focal points include plazas, squares and neighborhood centers. 4.7-I-11 Avoid using walls as a neighborhood boundary. Solid edges prevent fluid access in and out of neighborhoods. Conserving & Enhancing Existing Neighborhoods 4.7-I-12 Work with neighborhood groups on initiatives that would improve or enhance: Street trees; Signage; Street and alley improvements; Neighborhood parks. Undergrounding Utilities 4.7-I-13 Require new developments to underground all utilities needed to serve future buildings and their occupants and work with PG&E to establish undergrounding of utilities in existing residential neighborhoods, where financially feasible. 4-25

26 Building Type Lot Size (sq. ft.) Dwelling Size Number of Floors Average Density (units / gross acre) General Plan Density Range General Plan Land Use Classification Local Street Urban Buffer Edge Street Front Loaded Estate Typically at Urban / Rural Edge Edge Street Urban Buffer Local Street 12,800 sq. ft. 3,500 sq. ft Low Density Residential (Urban Edge) Rear Loaded Low Density 6,000 sq. ft. 2,800 sq. ft Low Density Residential Local Street Local Street Rear loaded Detached 3,200 sq. ft. 1,400 sq. ft Low / Medium Density Residential Local Street Local Street Front Loaded Detached Zero-Lot Line Rear Loaded Detached Zero-Lot Line Residential Alley Residential Alley (80) Local Street Local Street Local Street 4,500 sq. ft. 4,500 sq. ft. 1,800-2,000 sq. ft. 1,800-2,000 sq. ft Low / Medium Density Residential Low / Medium Density Residential Local Street Residential Alley 80 Residential Alley Rear loaded Townhouse Residential Alley ,200 sq. ft. 1,400 sq. ft Low / Medium Density Residential Local Street Residential Alley Apartments Residential Alley Local Street n/a 1,000 sq. ft Medium / High Density Residential Figure 4-10 Housing Typology Local Street Residential Alley